A jury of your peers means 12 stupid people

By Errera, Rob

Wayne Today

They say the wheels of justice grind slowly. But ever since the Casey Anthony verdict was handed down earlier this month, I'm calling for a complete tire change.

Our judicial system is broken, outdated, and needs a major overhaul. The first problem is nobody wants to serve on a jury, especially on a complicated or high profile case. Smart people use their intelligence to get out of serving jury duty. Most people find jury duty a chore instead of embracing it as a community service, a chance to become personally involved in the workings of government.

The second problem is the legal system has become so complicated (thanks to lawyers who call these complexities "job security") that common folk can no longer interpret laws correctly, even when a judge repeatedly explains the laws to them. In the case of Casey Anthony, it was as if the jury saw too much evidence, and was overwhelmed by the number of charges. They made their decision like they might be sued for slander for calling Casey Anthony a murderer.

But it doesn't work that way. Jurors must find a reasonable doubt based on the evidence. Casey Anthony had a long track record of lying to friends and family, and neglecting her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. She waited a month before reporting her daughter missing. She did extensive computer searches on chloroform. Her car reeked of death. Caylee's duct-taped remains were eventually found in the woods near Casey's parents house. How this jury saw her as anything other than guilty is…well, a mystery. An injustice.

The truly grotesque aspect of this case is yet to come: the commercialization of Casey Anthony. What's next for this modern day Lizzie Borden? Will she become the next reality TV star?

Will she get arrested for DUI in the Florida panhandle six months from now, and be mysteriously shanked in a county lock-up? Stay tuned.

(For the record, Lizzie Borden lived a pretty comfortable life after she was acquitted of killing her parents, including having an "intense and intimate" relationship with silent screen star Nance O'Neill a dozen years after the murders were committed.)

I hate myself for admitting it, but I'm as curious as the next guy when it comes to what's next for Casey Anthony. I tell myself it's the "professional journalist" in me that's following this story, but deep down I know I'm the same voyeuristic scumbag as everybody else.

A little girl was murdered and left to rot, her short life reduced to a mere plot point in an infotainment circus. Shame on us all.

It won't mean justice for Caylee, but maybe the Casey Anthony verdict will prompt change in the legal system. The first step might be to abolish jury trials all together.

If I'm ever charged with a crime, I don't want a jury of my peers to review the case. I doubt their ability to correctly interpret the evidence. Honestly, my peers are pretty stupid…so are yours.

I'd rather see judges render all verdicts and sentences. A judge would have as much experience — if not more – interpreting the law as the attorneys who appear before him.

A good judge would be fair and unbiased, able to deliver a verdict based on evidence and the letter of the law.

Another solution would be to make laws easier to understand and interpret. It's a long shot, but it might be our only hope at fixing the criminal justice system.

The jurors in the Casey Anthony trial have certainly taught us one thing: people aren't getting any smarter.

A jury of your peers means 12 stupid people

By Errera, Rob

Wayne Today

They say the wheels of justice grind slowly. But ever since the Casey Anthony verdict was handed down earlier this month, I'm calling for a complete tire change.

Our judicial system is broken, outdated, and needs a major overhaul. The first problem is nobody wants to serve on a jury, especially on a complicated or high profile case. Smart people use their intelligence to get out of serving jury duty. Most people find jury duty a chore instead of embracing it as a community service, a chance to become personally involved in the workings of government.

The second problem is the legal system has become so complicated (thanks to lawyers who call these complexities "job security") that common folk can no longer interpret laws correctly, even when a judge repeatedly explains the laws to them. In the case of Casey Anthony, it was as if the jury saw too much evidence, and was overwhelmed by the number of charges. They made their decision like they might be sued for slander for calling Casey Anthony a murderer.

But it doesn't work that way. Jurors must find a reasonable doubt based on the evidence. Casey Anthony had a long track record of lying to friends and family, and neglecting her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. She waited a month before reporting her daughter missing. She did extensive computer searches on chloroform. Her car reeked of death. Caylee's duct-taped remains were eventually found in the woods near Casey's parents house. How this jury saw her as anything other than guilty is…well, a mystery. An injustice.

The truly grotesque aspect of this case is yet to come: the commercialization of Casey Anthony. What's next for this modern day Lizzie Borden? Will she become the next reality TV star?

Will she get arrested for DUI in the Florida panhandle six months from now, and be mysteriously shanked in a county lock-up? Stay tuned.

(For the record, Lizzie Borden lived a pretty comfortable life after she was acquitted of killing her parents, including having an "intense and intimate" relationship with silent screen star Nance O'Neill a dozen years after the murders were committed.)

I hate myself for admitting it, but I'm as curious as the next guy when it comes to what's next for Casey Anthony. I tell myself it's the "professional journalist" in me that's following this story, but deep down I know I'm the same voyeuristic scumbag as everybody else.

A little girl was murdered and left to rot, her short life reduced to a mere plot point in an infotainment circus. Shame on us all.

It won't mean justice for Caylee, but maybe the Casey Anthony verdict will prompt change in the legal system. The first step might be to abolish jury trials all together.

If I'm ever charged with a crime, I don't want a jury of my peers to review the case. I doubt their ability to correctly interpret the evidence. Honestly, my peers are pretty stupid…so are yours.

I'd rather see judges render all verdicts and sentences. A judge would have as much experience — if not more – interpreting the law as the attorneys who appear before him.

A good judge would be fair and unbiased, able to deliver a verdict based on evidence and the letter of the law.

Another solution would be to make laws easier to understand and interpret. It's a long shot, but it might be our only hope at fixing the criminal justice system.

The jurors in the Casey Anthony trial have certainly taught us one thing: people aren't getting any smarter.